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Emoticons & Text Faces Symbol (☻)
Classic emoticons — the typed faces that came before emoji, from :) to the legendary shrug ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.
Emoticons & Text Faces codes
| Code | Value |
|---|---|
| Unicode code point | U+263B |
| Unicode name | Black Smiling Face |
| HTML named entity | None — use the decimal or hex code below |
| HTML decimal | ☻ |
| HTML hex | ☻ |
| CSS content code | \263B |
| JavaScript / JSON | \u263B |
| Windows Alt code | No standard Alt code — copy it from the card above |
Emoticons & Text Faces variants (5)
5 related glyphs — click any tile to copy it. Tiles with a page open that symbol's own page.
Meaning & usage
Before emoji there were emoticons: faces typed sideways from punctuation — :) :-) :-( ;) :p — proposed in 1982 by Scott Fahlman for early bulletin boards. Japan answered with upright kaomoji that need no head-tilting: (^^) (≧◡≦) and the shrug ¯\_(ツ)_/¯, built around ツ.
Copy the famous ones: :) · :-) · :-( · ;) · :D · :p · ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ · (╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻ · ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) · ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ. The tiles above copy the single-character faces; the strings in this text copy as selections.
Examples in use
- :) the original, 1982
- ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ — the shrug, for everything
- (╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻ — table flip
How to type the emoticons & text faces
Windows
There is no Alt code or direct key for ☻. In Microsoft Word, type 263B and press Alt+X to convert it. Everywhere else, click the Copy button at the top of this page and paste it (Ctrl+V) — that always works.
Mac
There is no Option-key shortcut for ☻ on a Mac. Open the Character Viewer with Control+Command+Space, search for "Emoticons & Text Faces", and double-click to insert — or copy it from this page.
iPhone & Android
Most phone keyboards have no built-in key for ☻. Open this page on your phone, tap Copy, then paste it into your message or bio. (On Android, Gboard's emoji search finds some symbols by name.)
Linux
Press Ctrl+Shift+U, type 263b and press Enter (works in most GTK apps and terminals with IBus). Or copy it from this page.
Frequently asked questions
Who invented the smiley emoticon?
Scott Fahlman at Carnegie Mellon proposed :-) and :-( on 19 September 1982 so readers could tell jokes from serious posts. The date is now celebrated as Emoticon Day.
How do I copy the shrug emoticon?
Select this string and copy it: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ — then paste it anywhere. It is a sequence of ordinary characters, so it works in every app.
Why does ☻ sometimes show as a box or question mark?
The box (called tofu) means the device or font viewing it has no drawing for U+263B (Black Smiling Face). The character itself is fine — try a different font or a newer device, or use one of the variants on this page.
Is the Emoticons & Text Faces free to use?
Yes. ☻ is a standard Unicode text character published in the Unicode Character Database. You may use it in personal and commercial documents, designs and products without permission or payment.
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Data: Unicode Character Database · Page updated 2026-11-13